Benigni Opens Overcrowded AFI Fest

Benigni Opens Overcrowded AFI Fest

The 12th annual AFI International Film Festival kicked off on Thursdaynight with a glitzy, star-studded U.S. premiere of Roberto Benigni’s“Life is Beautiful.” Held at Mann‘s Chinese Theater in downtownHollywood, the night got off to a shaky start when crowds exceeded theorganizers’ expectations, overfilling the 1500-seat theater. “Usually,there is a 15-20% drop-out rate,” festival director Jon Fitzgeraldexplained apologetically to a fidgeting audience. “Tonight, we had lessthan 5%.”

It was true: the ever-casual, often cynical LA audience had turned outin force on this mild October evening — and dressed to the nines, noless. Luckily, the AFI staff managed to rustle up another print andushered the overflow into an adjacent theater, which they also filled tocapacity. As to be expected, the audience was laden with industrytypes. Miramax staffers, in particular, circulated anxiously, watchingfor audience reaction to their prestigious Cannes pick-up (“Life isBeautiful” opened in New York and Los Angeles over the weekend toencouraging numbers).

After the screening, audience reaction was politely enthusiastic, andRoberto Benigni graciously accepted compliments as he slowly made hisway out of the theater. Still, Miramax has their work cut out for them.There has been so much hype about “Life is Beautiful” that it’s nearlyimpossible to watch without some preconceived notions. While itundoubtedly is a unique cinematic experience, the film — half slapstickcomedy, half grim drama — will probably confound U.S. audiences, whoprefer their genres more clearly defined. Reviews have been mixed, buteveryone admits that the film has certain charms: it may not beparticularly realistic or cohesive, but it is heartfelt and magical.

The regular festival screenings began on Friday, enticing more than afew curious festival go-ers to ditch work for the afternoon. As in pastyears, the AFI film festival has scheduled a slate of interesting, ifsometimes obscure, foreign films and U.S. indies. The OfficialCompetition features eleven films from around the globe: “The Big Mambo“(Germany); “The Book of Great Wishes” (Poland); “Fire Eater” (Finland);“The Last Contract” (Sweden); “Mr. Zhao” (China); “The Other Conquest“(Mexico); “Samurai Fiction” (Japan); “Sekal Has To Die” (CzechRepublic); “Sweety Barrett” (UK); “The Swindle” (France); and“Woundings” (UK).

The New Directions section offers a slate of US independent films, whilethe European Film Showcase provides a venue for emerging Europeandirectors to show their work. A more sure bet for audiences is probablythe World Cinema section, a non-competitive arena featuring twelvetitles from around the world, including Nadia Tass’ new film, “Amy,”Erick Zonca’s Cannes sensation, “The Dreamlife of Angels,” and StefanRuzowitzky’s “The Inheritors,” which Stratosphere Entertainment will putinto limited release this Friday.

A slim offering of documentary films is also screening, as well as asmattering of short films. An eclectic collection of SpecialPresentations rounds out the screenings, ranging from the charming(“Waking Ned Devine,” “God Said, Ha!“) to the excruciatingly mediocre(“Zacharia Farted,” “Meeting Daddy“).

The festival is also offering a number of panels and events designed tobring members of the film community together. The Screenwriter’sWeekend, which wrapped on Sunday evening, featured a host ofwell-established screenwriters discussing their craft and the industryin general. Borders Books is hosting a slew of book signing events: AFIis bringing out some impressive classics (“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,”“Battleship Potemkin”), and a tribute to the great Donald Sutherland isscheduled for Tuesday evening.

As always in Los Angeles, finding a festival “hub” is a challenge, butthe organizers have set up a cozy “hospitality tent” near the Laemmle4-Plex in Santa Monica, where the New Directions and European Showcasefilms are screening. Nestled near the Third Street Promenade — whichmeans convenient parking, an abundance of coffee houses, and plenty ofplaces to grab a snack — the theater is a perfect place for a festivaland has therefore resulted in healthy attendance.

Unfortunately, the films in the Official Competition all screen atMann’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, a difficult venue, at best, withlimited parking, heavy traffic, and swarms of tourists taking picturesof the cement. And the World Cinema films have been exiled to the MusicHall in Beverly Hills, a perfectly nice, but rather isolated, theater onWilshire Boulevard. The distance between the venues doesn’t create aproblem for casual attendees, but is inconvenient for all but the mostdedicated patron.

The AFI festival runs through Saturday, October 31. The Closing NightGala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will feature an awardsceremony, followed by a screening of Pat O’Connor’s “Dancing atLughnasa.” Tickets are available by calling (213) 520-2000.

[You can check out the comprehensive AFI Festival website atafifest.com]